Zero Turn Mowers

03cobra#694

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It’s time to replace the old JD tractor. I basically cut about 260’ x 150’. Would like a commercial grade, but open to suggestions. Gas only, and would prefer the Kawasaki engine. Budget is about $4K. Minimum deck of 48”. Let’s hear it.
 

Smooth

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It’s time to replace the old JD tractor. I basically cut about 260’ x 150’. Would like a commercial grade, but open to suggestions. Gas only, and would prefer the Kawasaki engine. Budget is about $4K. Minimum deck of 48”. Let’s hear it.
I thought you had a deal with the soon to be late @STAMPEDE3 ?
 

OETKB

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I can, but won’t Ash. It would be paid back in one year on what I make doing the neighbors and what I’d pay out.
I punched my calculator, and based on my wild-ass ass-umptions it looks like the pay-back would be less than a year to spend $4K on a mower, so I think you are right.
 

CV355

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Look for a Kubota reseller. I was looking at their Z400 Zero-turn (with the Kawasaki 24hp) but wound up getting the BX2380 diesel subcompact because of the PTO/implement options (and our lower yard by the pond is some rough terrain). Found a reputable reseller who finds low hour mowers/tractors that were repossessed and sells them at a massive discount. Our BX2380 had < 80 hours on it and we paid about $7k less than new, with original warranty still in tact.

https://www.kubotausa.com/products/mowers/zero-turn-mowers/z400
 
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IronSnake

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Ironically, our lot is about the same size with a smaller house on it (by about 4-500 square feet) than the parents.

While we have my parents old whatever rider lawn mower. (42" deck. Works good for us.) Dad got a bug up his ass about a year ago and decided he wanted a better motor. He started going out to the more rural side of Charleston and visited a small tractor place. Eventually someone traded in a 1 year old Toro zero turn with I think 48" deck. Thing runs and works fantastic. I'm extremely jealous. It was about a 3k dollar rig new, I believe he bought it for 1800.

Might be worth visiting your local little guys and seeing if they have a lightly used unit to save some cheddar.
 

CV355

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I've seen the used stuff here. It's all the guys who do it for a living and they run the piss out of them. I'll buy new.

I'm not saying look at the 1500hr+ beat-to-hell ex-lawn-crew zero turn that they want premium money for. You can find sub-100hr units that were purchased, traded, or re-possessed and save a chunk. The place I bought my BX2380 from had several Z400s with < 80hrs. I think he had some as low as 17 hours.

2017 KUBOTA Z122RKW
 

HISSMAN

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I never understood the draw for people getting a zero turn. I can hit everywhere on my lawn just fine with a standard mower that only cost me $1600. I have a very wooded lot with lots of obstacles. Sure, I might have to back up or hit some areas twice to get the radius, but I can also do pretty steep inclines and declines without losing my shit... Like my neighbor did with his zero turn. We share a hillside, and that guy nearly died two times in one attempt to mow his lawn.
 

02Toner

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I took multiple mowers for demos and test rides just this spring. I landed on a Gravely ZT-HD 60 with the 26hp Kohler for my 5 acres. This mower is a tank, beefy frame, rebuild-able/commercial hyrdros, plenty of power, and a very nicely designed belt tension system. Actually just got back from vacation and the field grass was tall and wet and this mower truly impressed me with how little it clumped and how it didn't seemingly struggle at all.

*Note I used to cut grass commercially for a few summers in college and have ran basically every ztr/grandstand out there and just couldn't justify the price difference for a "premium" brand (Ferris, ExMark, Grasshoper, etc...)
 

CV355

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I never understood the draw for people getting a zero turn. I can hit everywhere on my lawn just fine with a standard mower that only cost me $1600. I have a very wooded lot with lots of obstacles. Sure, I might have to back up or hit some areas twice to get the radius, but I can also do pretty steep inclines and declines without losing my shit... Like my neighbor did with his zero turn. We share a hillside, and that guy nearly died two times in one attempt to mow his lawn.

A lot of smaller yards are very difficult to maneuver with a traditional tractor-style mower. My last yard was a lot for a self-propelled push mower, but there was no way I would have fit a riding mower other than a ZT.

Also, ZTs are far easier to stripe with because your return pass isn't mucking up the previous passes. My yard has lots of flower / shrub beds, trees, curves, dips, etc, which make it hard to find an "ideal" single-pass pattern. In a lot of ways, I wish I had gotten a zero turn strictly for mowing. But, my lower yard would beat the hell out of a ZTR's wheel bearings and suspension links. The wheel bearings and suspension on the BX are bulletproof.
 

72MachOne99GT

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Yea, 4 acres on a regular rider... no effin thanks.

I about pulled the trigger on a 60” Country Clipper in May, but the wife wants me to wring another year out of the gas leaking, oil dripping, 1900 hour John Deere we negotiated for when we bought the property.
 

HISSMAN

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No doubt, they are faster, but I could buy two of what I have and just pay a mexican $20 to get half of the lawn while I get the other half, and still come out a head.. LOL. This is my lot. I have trees and landscaping everywhere.

Annotation 2019-06-25 085759.png
 

CV355

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Yea, 4 acres on a regular rider... no effin thanks.

I about pulled the trigger on a 60” Country Clipper in May, but the wife wants me to wring another year out of the gas leaking, oil dripping, 1900 hour John Deere we negotiated for when we bought the property.

Just be careful with the deck width. I'm glad we stuck with a 54", though there are areas that I can easily scalp/miss if I don't approach them right. My neighbor has a little more lawn acreage than I do leading down to his vineyard, and no joke, this guy cuts it all with a 42" deck. Takes him 3-4 hours, but the cut quality is amazing on the hill.
 

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